Filter plant, 200 jobs 
set for Momence

By Dave Jackson
Journal correspondent

MOMENCE - One of the area's on-again, off-again romances is on- again. And this time, the romancing is being done to filters.

Air filters.

Jeff Bennett, vice president of Tony Perry and Associates, told the city council Monday night that the old Peterson-Puritan plant on the city's southeast side will soon be occupied.

Bennett said Precisionaire, a Tampa, Florida-based firm, specializing in heating and air conditioning filters, recently signed a lease-to-buy agreement on the 211,000 square-foot building.

The result of Precisionaire obtaining the building means an additional 200 jobs to the area.

''The best news of all,'' Bennett said, ''is that job creation will happen quickly.''

He told city council members that Precisionaire ''needs to be operational in the Momence building as soon as they can.''

Hiring employees and having the plant operational within the next few weeks is the general idea of Precisionaire, Bennett said.

Bennett said full details of the hiring procedures was scheduled to be released at a ceremony by Precisionaire for this afternoon.

''They have to meet the requirements of a major contract,'' he said.

''The company wants to work closely with the city of Momence to begin rehabilitation of the facility,'' Bennett said.

''This isn't a company asking for tax abatement and tax incentives,'' Bennett added.

Mayor Rex ''Bill'' Peterson quickly added, ''It certainly is strange they're not asking for incentives.''

In a statement issued this morning, Bennett commented that following the acquisition of Precisionaire by Flanders Corp, a North Carolina- based company that also specializes in filters, Tony Perry and Associates provided the firm with information on the old Kmart building on Kankakee's east side.

''That one didn't meet their requirements,'' Bennett said. However, the contact by the Kankakee commercial development company resulted in Precisionaire asking for more information on property in the area.

''As we showed them sites,'' Bennett said, ''the Momence location quickly came to the forefront. It was a feasible size, could provide both manufacturing and warehousing operations, was well-located from a transportation standpoint, and was immediately available.''

Although the company has not asked for tax incentives, Bennett did note that Precisionaire will be receiving $7,000,000 in tax-exempt industrial revenue bonds by the Will- Kankakee Regional Development Authority.

Bennett aid the ''bonds are making possible the acquisition and improvement of the property so Precisionaire can quickly get production underway.

The Puritan facility has sat vacant for nearly all of the past decade.

Precisionaire is owned by North Carolina-based Flanders Corp.